Transition from COO of BitPesa to COO of Lantum: Fintech to HealthTech

I wanted to make two important announcements to my extended professional network:

1) After 6 amazing years as Chief Operating Officer of BitPesa (now AZA), I am proud to announce I have passed on the COO baton to Teresia Kairu, one of our earliest employees from our first years building the company in Kenya and our Head of Finance as we expanded across Africa and across Europe. There are no words to express my gratitude to my Co-Founder and CEO Elizabeth Rossiello and the nearly 200 incredibly diverse and talented employees who have at one point or another helped AZA serve our mission to reduce the friction of doing business in frontier markets by increasing the liquidity, efficiency, and interoperability of cross-border payments. It was and will likely be the single most transformational leadership journey in my entire career. I have joined AZA's Board of Directors and look forward to supporting the company as it continues to grow leaps and bounds in headcount, payments processed, and impact on emerging market businesses!

2) Although I was very much looking forward to taking a six-month sabbatical to spend time with family and friends, read all the business books I was too busy to read while building a business, learn Chinese, and travel around Southern Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, I feel so incredibly fortunate to have listened to the little voice in my head that told me to just #LeanIn when I unexpectedly received an offer to become the COO of Lantum, which is a SaaS platform that allows healthcare organisations in both the UK and the US to manage their workforce digitally and a marketplace that sources part-time clinicians to fill shifts not already filled by full-time staff. As so many of us are grappling with the physical, psychological, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, I am so grateful for the opportunity to apply all the countless lessons and experiences I gained earlier in my career to helping Lantum mobilize healthcare workers across the UK to serve the patients who most need their care. A huge thank you to all of the clinicians in (and beyond) our network for serving on the frontlines of the COVID response. You are in my thoughts and prayers! #ClapForOurCarers